Hong Kong patriots-only election

Hong Kong patriots-only election
Reuters

Polling closed on Sunday (7 December) in Hong Kong’s overhauled “patriots-only” legislative election, with vote counting now underway.

Only candidates vetted as “patriots” by the China-backed Hong Kong government were allowed to stand, with attention focused on voter turnout as residents continue to mourn the city’s worst fire in nearly 80 years.

Security was tightened in the northern district of Tai Po, near the border with mainland China, where the fire engulfed seven residential towers.

Registered voters for Sunday’s poll numbered 4.13 million, marking the fourth consecutive annual decline since 2021, when registration peaked at 4.47 million.

Hong Kong and Chinese officials have called on citizens to participate actively in the vote.

Tags